BANFF— Banff town councillors say they are ready to offer any assistance to First Nations neighbours experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in Stoney Nakoda.
With the latest available statistics indicating there are 124 active cases of the virus at Stoney Nakoda, where a state of local emergency has been declared, Councillor Peter Poole asked what the Town of Banff could do to help. To date five people have died on the nation.
“I’ve been really concerned about the ongoing outbreak at Morley” he said during a council meeting on Monday (Jan. 25).
“I’m wondering whether they might lack the type of hotels or isolation facility that we have available at The Banff Centre and Y [WCA] and if there’s any way we could assist with that,” he added.
“I want to try and be generous with our neighbours, and if they need help, I would hope that our emergency social services people might be able to reach out.”
Silvio Adamo, the Town of Banff’s director of emergency management, said Stoney Nakoda's director of emergency management sits on the regional emergency management group.
“They have not articulated a request for any assistance as of yet. If anything does come up, as always our entire mutual aid group of 26 municipalities tries to support each other as best we can,” he said.
“If there is a call for help through that group or with the province, we will certainly step up and see what we can do.”
Councillor Corrie DiManno was pleased to hear this.
“I too have been watching the reports come in of what’s happening in our neighbouring community and it’s certainly worrisome to see them where they are,” she said.
“I am glad to hear we are ready to respond if needed.”
There are 161 active cases in the MD of Bighorn, which includes Morley, Lac Des Arcs, Exshaw and Harvie Heights. There are nine active cases in Canmore and zero reported for Kananaskis Country.
Province-wide, there were 9,337 active cases on Jan. 25, with 362 of those reported over the previous 24 hours. Of the active cases, 637 people are in hospital and 113 in intensive care.
Monday (Jan. 25) marked the one-year anniversary of the first presumptive COVID-19 case reported in Canada.
“We’re still knee deep in this,” Adamo said. “Thankfully there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
